What Smart Super Savvy Professionals Know: Work Possibilities Are Endless

Sep 21, 2022

Your competition for workers in today’s talent shortage isn’t what you think it is. It’s not the people in the same industry down the street. It is way more complicated than that. Read more in this article by CBC about why people are opting out of traditional work and making massive changes to their careers.

A quote from the article about a former PSW (Personal Support Worker):

“Now, Couture works as a yoga instructor and Reiki practitioner. At first, yoga was an easy way to support herself after leaving her career as a PSW — she was already certified to teach — but she’s found it allows her to remain an entrepreneur with control over her schedule. She also drives for Uber as a side gig and says that makes her more money than her full-time job as a PSW did.”

What if her employer knew that she was retraining? Could there have been a way to retain her and utilize her new skills rather than lose her?

Knowing what we know now about our talent shortage and that side hustles, the gig economy, prioritizing lifestyle, mental health needs, and more are taking precedence, for some, over money, job security, educational background, and even what they thought their legacy would be, it’s time to start asking:

• What makes you happy at work, and is the most rewarding?
• What fires you up as a person?
• What strengths and knowledge do you want to bring to the role/team/organization?
• What has changed about your values during these challenging times, and how has that impacted how you view your work?
• Five years from now, what would you say about your role, the team, our organization and even our industry to believe it’s where you want to be professionally?

Ask these questions one-on-one or even as part of a team.

• One-on-one conversations, in person or virtual
• During a Stay Interview (we have a whole Stay Interview template for you here)
• To kick off a staff meeting in a positive way
• During a team retreat (we are seeing a flurry of activity where teams are coming together for team gatherings)

Looking for more ideas about keeping improving your staff retention? Check out these resources:

• Want to Witness the Marriage of Intrapreneurship with Entrepreneurship? 
• Employees with a Side Hustle: Embrace it So it Benefits You Both
• RIP: The Paycheque’s Fall From Grace